Catholic College confiscates newspaper containing condom column.

LA ROCHE COLLEGE, A Catholic university in Pittsburgh, confiscated 900 copies of the student newspaper, La Roche Courier. The newspaper contained a column by its editor, Nicole Johnson, suggesting that "condoms and other forms of contraception could eliminate unwanted babies out of wedlock." The article was questioning why there were pamphlets available to students explaining where they could drop off unwanted babies, but no information about condoms. Johnson called the college's actions "disgraceful."

College authorities explained that they were hosting an open house while the paper was available, that the column was not consistent with school policy or Catholic values and that they did not want to create any "misunderstanding" for prospective students. Linda Jordan Platt, the director of college writing and adviser to the paper, said the school supports academic and press freedom on campus and that the removal of the papers was "not an attempt to censor opinions of students."